Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. We have to act quickly to help people adapt now.

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is "the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change."

Through our work, we aim to reduce the vulnerability of local communities by assessing the potential for EbA solutions in the Philippines, South Africa and Brazil; implementing pilot EbA solutions; providing capacity building; and linking lessons learned to local, national and international climate adaptation planning and policy.

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EditItem Text:Vulnerability assessments are a key element of a successful climate change adaptation strategy. They identify the likely impacts of climate change and the consequences of those impacts on human populations, ecosystems and ecosystem services — such as fresh water, coastal protection and crop pollination. These assessments guide us in the identification of appropriate EbA actions needed to address those impacts.

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EditItem Text:Conservation International implemented two pilot EbA projects each in the Philippines, South Africa and Brazil. These projects were selected based on the results of the vulnerability assessments and partnerships between key players on the ground. Through those interventions, the cost, effectiveness and co-benefits of EbA actions can be assessed.

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EditItem Text:Vulnerability assessments provide details that can help shape national policies on climate change adaptation. Likewise, results of the pilot projects in terms of their costs, effectiveness and co-benefits inform national policy on the feasibility of EbA actions compared to more traditional adaptation activities. Through engagement with international policy fora, lessons from the project are also informing global dialogue.

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EditItem Text:Specific plans for protecting the coastal reefs of south of Bahia and for the protection of the parrot fish — a species that keeps algae from overgrowing and damaging the reef — will be developed to increase the resilience of coral reefs to climate change. Those two plans will be included in the national plan of action for the Brazilian coral reefs.

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EditItem Text:The Brazilian government encourages municipalities to develop a municipal plan of conservation and restoration of the Atlantic Forest — but until recently, none of the plans had taken climate change impacts into consideration. The plan developed in Porto Seguro is the first of its kind to address climate change and to recommend EbA actions. The goal is to establish guidelines and priorities for projects and public policies in the region regarding the issue of climate change adaptation.

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EditItem Text:This project has been implemented in Barangay Silonay in Calapan City. The Silonay Mangrove Conservation and Ecotourism Project is implemented by the Sama-Samang Nagkakaisang Pamayanan ng Silonay (SNPS), a local community organization supported by Conservation International. This project has been enforced through the execution of a conservation agreement between SNPS and CI for the conservation and protection of a 42-hectare mangrove marine protected area in Silonay. SNPS is working to diversify income from mangrove conservation and planting to micro-enterprise projects ranging from ecotourism to sale of souvenirs. CI and our partners have prepared a tourism master plan, which includes a mangrove boardwalk where visitors can experience the vast expanse of the mangrove forest.

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EditItem Text:A vulnerability assessment demonstrated that the Verde Island Passage experiences a regular upwelling phenomenon, which makes it possible for the fish population to thrive on the abundance of food. With climate change, the upwelling is threatened by higher sea surface temperature and more frequent and intense weather conditions. Climate change, combined with unsustainable fishing practices, within the Verde Island Passage augments problems for the fishing communities. A seasonal closure adopted for a limited period within an annual cycle is a fishery management option that will regulate catch and help boost diminishing fish stocks.

EditItem Text:Wetland rehabilitation involves removing non-native vegetation, filling erosion areas, measuring sedimentation, building structures to restore the water table, and revegetating areas to increase ground cover and species diversity. Improving land management increases the area’s resilience to climate change. Through this project, we are working with private and communal sheep and goat farmers to reduce land degradation, thereby increasing the resilience of the natural resources that they depend on for their livelihoods. We also focus on raising awareness about climate change and increasing the capacity of farmers to manage their land and implement more climate-resilient practices.

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EditItem Text:Ecosystem-based adaptation activities in the area focus on building capacity and improving land management among the farmers. The focus in Steinkopf is on grazing regimes. Several studies are planned, including an aerial survey of the donkey population to estimate their impact, and a grazing trial that will examine the relationships between stocking rates, rotational grazing, grassland conditions and animal health.

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EditText: A whole episode of the show Globo Ecologia, produced by the largest commercial TV network in Brazil, Globo, addressed how the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems, and the parrot fish, can help us minimize the negative effects of climate change.

EditLink for Header and Image:http://redeglobo.globo.com/globoecologia/videos/t/edicoes/v/globo-ecologia-25052013-preservacao-dos-oceanos-integra/2591441/[Optional]

This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (ICI). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports these initiatives on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.